Red Brick Dog Days Ale - Red Brick Brewing Company

tdm168

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - cloudy, hazy yellow with a lot of thick yeast coming out of the bottle; the head is thick, bubbly, soft and white; little retention

S - clove, coriander, wheat, pepper, faint banana, bubblegum

T - bread, pepper, lemon, orange, clove

M - medium bodied, well carbonated, smooth

This isn't a bad wheat beer, but it is a bit malty and bready. The malt doesn't fit the style. The spice and faint fruit characters fit nicely though. Overall, not bad, but it doesn't truly fit the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 00:29:16 | More by tdm168

maleman

Mississippi

3.2/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. No dating was noted on the bottle. Poured a cloudy, straw color, one finger head that quickly disappated into a tight cap. Noticed slippery, oily lacing. Something sweet was there in the nose along with pepper and clove. While I'm not a fan of the genre, the taste wasn't bad. It was fairly light with little aftertaste. A little bit of straw was the major flavor. Light-bodied, tasted in the top rear of the mouth. Carbonation was about average. Overall, a decent, light summer brew. As posted earlier, I'm not a hef fan, but as far as hefs go this one is more than tolerable. RB!

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 21:12:04 | More by maleman

jsanford

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy straw-yellow with a thin head that settles to a patchy haze. Nice aromas of banana, wheat, a touch of clove, and a good amount of grassy hops. Surprisingly hoppy for a Hefeweizen, at least in the nose. More typical flavors of banana, clove, and wheat with a fairly clean Hefeweizen yeast and a generous helping of slightly grassy hops. Mouthfeel is crisp and refreshing, with a medium-thin body and good carbonation. Overall a pretty nice American Hefeweizen, but I'll likely stick with the German ones.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 04:03:38 | More by jsanford

Jadjunk

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Red Brick's Dog Days Ale is a Hefeweizen style ale. As a summer seasonal, it's a bigger challenge to find this in select stores by comparison to SweetWater and Terrapin beers, as Red Brick has seemingly always suffered from limited popularity in the area despite being Georgia's oldest craft brewery. The prices are always attractive for Red Brick beers. Should you find some at a specialty grocer, expect to take one home starting at $7.99/6.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a Red Brick pint glass. Served at 48º Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a thin crisp frothy head with average retention. Body color is a very pale yellow, quite hazy with relaxed and sparse carbonation. Appearance could improve significantly, as this beer is lacking a decent head quality and even looks a bit shallow in color too. 2.5

(Smell) Smell is a very potent blend of clove and banana bread, nearly a 50/50 split, certainly making it the dominant flavor in the aroma. Wheat malt base and a very low Alpha acid german hop is harder to detect in the aroma, overshadowed by the typical Hefeweizen yeast tones. There's certainly nothing too new or original in this aroma, but it's certainly a good stab at the aroma, with plenty to smell and savor here. 4

(Taste) Spicy clove in the front followed by a softer banana wheat tone in the back, tart lemon peel hovering by the wayside all the way through. Flavor is very sharp and acidic by comparison to other Hefeweizens, and the clove is a key figure in this beer. The beer is quite drinkable, but not quite as drinkable as it could be with a slightly lower acidic flavor and a less dominating spice profile on the front. If you don't like bold clove in Hefeweizens then this may not be a good choice for you. I personally find it enjoyable to drink but not quite my ideal Hefeweizen choice. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Texture is both tangy from lemon flavor and crisp from carbonation. Semi-dry finish prolongs the intensity of the acidic flavors. Body is light. Alcohol presence is light as well. A decent pairing, although the fizzy carbonation and dry yeast accentuates even further the spice front of the flavor. 3.5

(Overall) While it's not capable of standing with the big boys of traditional German-brewed Hefeweizens, this is actually one of the more adventurous American Hefeweizen interpretations that I've had. Flavors are on the front, most notably the spice profile, making for a bold flavor. This extra zest may make or break how the beer is interpreted depending on the drinker. Overall, I didn't find it disastrous, but not the most drinkable Hefeweizen based on a heavy yeast-based flavor emphasis, but to each, his/her own. 3.5

Red Brick Brewing Company's
Dog Days Ale Hefeweizen
3.55/5.00

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 04:14:04 | More by Jadjunk

Dudeletter

Georgia

4/5  rDev +23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First is one of the new Red Brick Beers, though there is a caveat when I say new. In the last few years, if not last year, Red Brick must have had a major crisis/overhaul. The result is rebranding from Atlanta Brewing Company, Relabeling, and the refreshing of many recipes. In fact on the website the Dog Days Ale is still listed as the Summer Beer. This being said the new version is really impressive as a wheat beer. The fruit zests come through clearly and the spices are right on. As opposed to the problem I mentioned in a previous post this beer is neither too sweet or too hoppy, while still not being to dry as a German Wheat would be. This is a great summer beer.

http://www.dudeletter.com/?p=1063

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 15:45:52 | More by Dudeletter

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

r light amber, yellow with a huge hite pillow like head, and tons of carbonation. Very lively aroma, lots of grains and cereal hints, with some subtle fruit like flavors mixed in. Bananas and apples were the most prominant. Taste was exhilirating. Such a lively, frothy and light flavor. Quite possibly the best warm weather beer I have ever tried. Flavor just exploded in your mouth and the lightness of it along with the remarkable carbonation are unmatched. This is now going to be summer beer of choice until or if something can uproute it.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 15:28:06 | More by mikesgroove

Paincane

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Golden in color with one finger head leaving nice amount of lacing in pint glass.
S: Wheat and orange peel
T: Wheat dominates the flavor with a hint of citrus.
M: Smooth, light bodied, moderate carbonation
D: Very drinkable, but simple beer. I would drink another given the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 01:15:41 | More by Paincane

Lillie1128

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a nice golden color with very little head, but good lacing

S - Not too much of an aroma, but has some light citrus notes

T - Yummy wheat taste with a hint of orange and hops

M - Good mouthfeel, nice and chewy at the end

D - Very high drinkability! I was trying to save this for the pool, but after a long day in the ceramics studio and a bike ride in the heat, it was very refreshing!

I really enjoyed this beer! It's so light and refreshing, and really perfect for hot southern days.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2011 23:09:21 | More by Lillie1128

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy solar yellow with a thick and fluffy, it not too persistent, white head. Aroma is strong, yeasty and wheaty with a citrus hint. Crisp flavor is wheaty and yeasty, slightly lemony, rather refreshing - this ain’t no sippin’ beer! ;) Texture is rather smooth with a subtle tingle. This is indeed a good beer for the "dog days."

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 04:12:20 | More by Cyberkedi

ktrillionaire

Florida

3.1/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Ale&Witch

A - It pours a visibly thin and cloudy hue, and is capped with a thin wispy white film.

S - The nose is spritzy, lemony and refreshing. I think that is what they were going for. Banana and ripe fruit aromas are subdued.

T - The taste is more of the same. A focus on refreshing citrus flavors is notable, as is a mildness of flavor. It works for a Summer beer.

M - Thin and lighly carbonated, refreshing; again, they achieved their desired result.

O - Not my cup of tea, per se, but well-done for what it is.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2011 18:03:12 | More by ktrillionaire

rjhaupt

Tennessee

2.45/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A - Murky straw color, minimal head even after a vigorous pour, bits of years on the bottom of the glass (it is unfiltered after all).

S - Sweet smell almost like wet hay or fresh cut grass but not as crisp. Hints of banana (shocking!).

T - Tart astringent first taste followed by a fruity banana main event. Finishes with a bit of a stale sourdough situation. Unfortunately, does not open up well as it warms.

M - Kind of watery and bland, definitely not the chewy years broth I like in a Hefeweizen.

D - Subpar taste really drags down looked and smelled like it could have been an alright beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2010 00:57:33 | More by rjhaupt

Thur123

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The brew pours a very hazy tan-ish golden color with one and a half finger of fluffy white head. I can't tell how carbonated it may be but I'm sure its fine. The head fades kind of quickly for the style. Looks good. The smell is sweet bananas with a bit of clove and a bit of yeasty funk.

Glug glug glug

The flavor is the same, with and slightly astringent banana with a yeasty finish. Overall this is a standard unfiltered wheat but certainly nothing bad. Has all the flavors and texture it should.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2010 22:54:35 | More by Thur123

charlesbyrd

Mississippi

2.63/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a weizen glass.

A: Looks like your average hefe: very hazy and deep amber with some floaties. The head, however, is much more voluminous than I'm used to seeing. It's soapy white and craggy with decent retention. Lacing is also pretty decent.

S: Lots of spice and musty yeast. Not much on the fruity side, it seems to be covered up by the slightly sweet wheat.

T: It's very bitter, though not in a hoppy way. It tastes like the flavor has gone bad, and all I'm getting is chalky, yeasty, bread. Again, not much in the way of citrus notes.

M: It's on the light side, and it almost feels flat on the tongue.

D: I don't know how long it takes for a beer like this to go bad (since this is a summer brew and I'm drinking it in October) but this one tastes off. The carbonation has almost disappeared, and some of the flavor profile seems to have died. There's enough hefeweizen character here that I think it's probably pretty good in season, but I'll have to wait a while and try it fresh.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2010 22:17:53 | More by charlesbyrd

cjgator3

Florida

3.68/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle

A- Pours a slightly hazy golden yellow with a hint of orange and an off-white head.

S- The aroma is wheat with some lemon and citrus along with some spices and a hint of banana and yeast as well. The aroma is pretty faint, but there is some nice subtle nuances in the nose.

T- The taste has some wheat up front with some citrus and a nice spiciness as well. The finish is dry with some lingering spiciness. Like the aroma, the taste is not overly complex but is very refreshing and is flavorful enough for a summer session beer.

M- The mouthfeel is light bodied with a high amount of carbonation.

D- Overall, I enjoyed this one. This is a solid beer for what it is, an easy drinking light bodied beer for the summer with a decent amount of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 02:39:20 | More by cjgator3

milkbaby9

Florida

3.98/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle into a 0.5 L Franziskaner weizen glass. Nice "Beer from around here" logo on the bottle cap. Produced a 2 finger off white head which reduced to a minimal foam cap with nice lacing. Very nice hazy pale straw color.

Aroma was zesty lemon with light yeast and wheat/malt. Taste opens up tangy to sourish lemon into banana then finishing with a nice breadiness and lightly bitter aftertaste.

Carbonation was zippy and nice, giving a light bodied feel but not drying at all. Made my mouth feel very wet and drooly!

Drinkability is good because this is an easy and pleasant brew to drink, not too sweet, just right. Very good though my personal preference is for a bigger yeasty wheat and malt center to the beer. Pleasantly surprised by this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2010 01:20:10 | More by milkbaby9

MbpBugeye

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A- Totally hazed yellow with a strange greenish hue. Dishwater looking head doesn't stick around very long.

S- Lemon, some banana, spicy wheat.

T- Lemony. Its even a little sour and tangy like lemons. Some wheaty spiciness, dishwater and very faint hops.

M- Prickly and light. Not as fluffy and smooth as I would like from a hefe.

D- Goes down easy, nothing too negative about this beer. I just don't find it totally delicious.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2010 17:32:49 | More by MbpBugeye

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy bright yellow with a very white head that is a little thinner than I'd like for the style, but very finely beaded. Sweet smells of banana, light clove, and a bare touch of lemon. The taste isn't quite as full as the aroma suggests it will be. Light and somewhat soft with more pronounced lemon and much less banana and clove, although both are there in subtle representation. Quite drinkable, but could be a bit crisper and more fully flavored for me. The softness doesn't quite take the edge off the summer heat like a crisper beer does, and the relatively subdued and simple flavor makes me lose interest after awhile. This is not exactly a complex beer, but it was pleasureable enough for me not to regret buying one six pack.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2009 17:50:19 | More by Georgiabeer

Drew966

Florida

2.98/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Red Brick Summer Hefe-Weizen pours a hazy lemon yellow with a white head from a brown twelve ounce bottle. The aroma is very citrusy with a touch of clove popping out of the background. The mouthfeel is thin. Unfortunately this beer smells better than it tastes, it is poorly balanced. There are citrus flavors and clove flavors but this beer tastes watery. Very disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2009 00:33:40 | More by Drew966

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle - $1.79 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a clouded, though otherwise bright yellow body with a foamy, white head.

Smell: Aroma of malted wheat with fruity hints of bananas and lemons with a dusting of earthy, peppery spices.

Taste: Smooth malted wheat flavor in the foreground with a solid dose of table sugar for sweetening. Then, it's fork-mashed bananas and sliced, sweet lemons with some underlying tartness. Fresh-ground additions of clove provide an unremitting spiciness. Light bitterness. Hints of fruit and spice in the final tastes. Finishes dry with some lingering clove-inoculated banana hints.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is smooth, white the carbonation provides some countering crispness.

Drinkability: A pleasant, simple, reasonably refreshing wheat-based brew for summertime drinking in Atlanta.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2009 02:33:07 | More by ChainGangGuy

MSchae1017

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer was poured from the 12oz bottle into a 16oz shaker style ABC pint glass.

It pours a hazy orange with a massive white head that accounts for 2/3 of the volume of the glass. The head refuses to give way, making it difficult to pour my beer. I gave this one an easy pour as well. The head holds well and laces a ton. The head should not be this big though. The smell is yeasty and a bit of bubble gum. The flavor accnets this bubble gum as well. Not enough clove or banana to make it complex. The mouthfeel is light, but not quite creamy enough. Overall, a refreshing hefe, but not my favorite of the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2008 21:09:58 | More by MSchae1017

superdedooperboy

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy pale yellow with a mountainous peak of white foam that sticks around for an eternity.

Smells spicy, with a hint of sweet banana hiding in there as well.

Taste is the usual banana/clove combination, with a bit of the spiciness that shows in the nose, and a hint of hop bitterness in the middle. Medium-bodied with good carbonation; finish is rather dry and mildly bitter.

A fairly typical example of the style; very Germanic in its execution. Not was I was really in the mood for, sadly; it would have probably been perfect after a bike ride in the Georgia heat or after mowing the lawn on a sweltering morning. Sadly, this rainy afternoon just didn't favor it.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2008 21:31:14 | More by superdedooperboy

glid02

Georgia

3.7/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Got this on-tap at Atlanta Brewing Company.

Pours a cloudy lemon color with a two-finger white head. Head dissipates after a while, but sticks around for a bit. Ends up as a ring around the glass.

Smells good. Mostly banana, has an almost sucrose-like smell. Very sweet.

Tastes a little better than it smells. Lots of banana up front, and as it warms there's a bit more spiciness. There's also a slight orange rind flavor.

Mouthfeel isn't that great. Very carbonated, it doesn't go down as smoothly as it could. If there was a little less carbonation it would help things a bunch.

Drinkability is pretty good. It's a bit too sweet, but as it warms it gets better. Again, the carbonation hurts it here.

Apparently this won an award given out by Great Lakes Brewing Company in 2008. It's certainly not bad, but there are better hefeweizens out there.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2008 01:47:34 | More by glid02

Goliath

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very cloudy, very pale yellow with an enormous white head. I barely poured any in the glass and it filled it to the top instantly. It was kind of strange. Good retention all the same and some trailing lace.

Aroma is pretty typical. A nice little citrus note with a bit of spice.

Taste is pretty good. Some banana and clove with a touch of sweetness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with ample carbonation.

Drinkability is fairly high. Good flavors, seemingly low alcohol, light, crisp, and refreshing. The elements combine to make a nice summer brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2008 02:40:38 | More by Goliath

HopDerek

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a thick hazy straw gold color resembling orange juice but with 1/2 inch of white head. Head disappears quickly leaving a spotty covering and light lacing. Smells of lemon, bread, banana, and clove and other spices. Taste is mostly lemon and wheat with spices. Odd metallic bitterness in the finish, almost like peanut skins. Light in body with good carbonation. A drinkable hefe, but not very standout, funky bitterness makes it less desirable from other summer wheats.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2007 21:26:53 | More by HopDerek

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Atlanta Brewing continues to impress. Who would have thunk it... an American brewery brewing a worthy Hefeweizen? The beer pours a murky, sometimes dull, sometimes bright straw color with slightly fizzy carbonation, but with a body to stand up. The aromas are strongly malted (pilsner and wheat) with spicy, fruity esters, lightly musk-ey, earthy with a soft (confectionate) sweetness and nearly-Belgian tartness. The feel is light and airy, with a mild weight due to the sweetness. Finishes mildly sweet and with lingering earthy flavor and evaporative alcohol. Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2007 20:33:03 | More by BEERchitect